Blue January
sky, crisp air nips with whipping
wind. My face is cold
Seconds slip past and I feel
this new year sliding away.
Liked this poem? Try Backyard or Rain Pours.
Tag: poetry writing
Raven Croaks
early morning i
sit drinking tea and listening
to raven croaking
gliding through the air to land
on lamp post slick with dew drops
Liked this poem? Read Fog Slips Down the Hill and Chinatown Night Market.
Writing Poetry: Why I Love It and How I Became Obsessed
In this post, I’ll discuss why I choose to obsess over poetry. How I was first exposed to it and why my passion for reading and writing has led me to where I’m at today with my writing routine. I also provide multiple lists of recommended reading, book reviews, and other blog posts I’ve written about poetry.
The Root of My Obsession with Poetry
In 2011, I was exposed to poetry in a creative writing course in college. I read Wittgenstein and Maggie Nelson, which finally cracked open the world of poetry and creative writing in a way I could grasp. Since then, I’ve fallen down into a rabbit hole I don’t think I’ll ever want to get out of.
Recommended Reading: My Two Favorite Poetry and Writing Books
Remarks on Colour by Ludwig Wittgenstein
Bluets by Maggie Nelson
I haven’t been the same for years. I’ve found myself continually wanting to write and explore literature. Over time, my obsession with writing poetry resulted in various daily writing routines that I have tweaked to optimize writing output. And I’ve maintained a habit of writing for one to two hours per day since then.
Are you looking for an alpha or beta reader to review your poems? I can help! Learn more HERE.
Poetry: It’s Not as Fancy as You Think and It’s for Everyone
I used to think that poetry was some high-brow artistic form of writing. I thought that I’d never be able to understand, let alone write poetry, even though I was already an avid writer and reader.
Maybe it’s because poetry is intimidating at first due to its literary history and importance to countless civilizations, both ancient and new. Perhaps it’s because of its history of religious poetry, passing down legends and mythologies, or its significant use in addressing societal and cultural shifts. This fear of poetry is pretty common for people interested in it but hesitant to jump in.
Poems That I Recommended Reading
A Hymn to God the Father by John Donne
The Odyssey, translated by Robert Fagles
Howl and Other Poems by Allen Ginsberg
The Need to Read Poetry and Everything Else
I read tons of books on writing poetry. I’m keen to find reliable resources with pro tips that I can use to push my poetry in new directions. But reading poetry more than writing seems to positively affect my work. I’d highly recommend balancing time between reading and writing poetry to advance your writing.
Reading Suggestions: Excellent Books on Poetry by Robert Pinsky
My Book Reviews of Singing School and Democracy, Culture and the Voice of Poetry by Robert Pinsky
Also, check out my list of Recommended Poetry Books and How to Read a Poem
Interested in Writing Poetry? Jump into the Rabbit Hole and Have Fun!
What can I say about poetry, about writing? Read, write, write some more, and get your hands on as much great poetry as possible. If you love it, let it become your obsession. Take joy in poetry and memorize poems you love; this has helped me compose and acknowledge the value of being able to read poetry effectively at events.
Looking for guidance and tips? Read my post How to Memorize a Poem!
Are You a Poet? Or Are You New to Writing Poetry? Let’s Chat
Do you write poetry? When did you start, and why do you continue to write? Connect with me today and leave a comment below! I’d love to know your influences and what your writing routine is.
Enjoyed this post? Here’s 3 easy ways to come up with ideas for poems!
30 Poetry Books You Must Read: How-to’s, Collections and Anthologies
Here is an extensive list of 30 poetry books I highly recommend! You’ll find how-to’s on writing poetry, collections, and anthologies of poems.
Do you have poetry books that you’d recommend? Leave a comment below and let’s chat!
Books on Writing Poetry
Here are my top four reference poetry books that I use to write my poems. Complete with how-to’s, advice, and details on countless poetry forms.
Poemcrazy: freeing your life with words by Susan Goldsmith Wooldridge
New Rhyming Dictionary and Poets Handbook by Burges Johnson
Modern American Poetry Edited by Louis Untermeyer
Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics
A Book of Women poets from Antiquity to Now Edited by Aliki Barnstone and Willis Barnstone
Poetry Collections & Anthologies
These are some of my absolute favorite poetry collections and anthologies. They span the old and the new, and I just can’t get enough of them. If you’re looking to dive into poetry, I recommend you pick up one of these and give it a go!
The Vintage Book of Contemporary American Poetry Edited by J.D. McClatchy
The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson
Selected Poems and Letter of Emily Dickinson Edited by Robert N. Linscott
Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman
The New Modern American and British Poetry Edited by Louis Untermeyer
The Collected Poems of Wilfred Owen Edited by C. Day Lewis
The Faber Book of 20th Century Verse Edited by John Heath-Stubbs and David Wright
The Complete Poems of Marianne Moore
Birds, Beasts, and Seas: Nature Poems from New Directions Edited by Jeffrey Yang
Howl and Other Poems by Allen Ginsberg
Ovid: the Metamorphoses Translated, and with an Introduction by Horace Gregory
Rilke: A Life by Wolfgang Leppmann
The Collected Poems of Theodore Roethke
The Selected Poetry of Rainer Maria Rilke Edited and Translated by Stephen Mitchell
The Odyssey Translated by Robert Fagles Introduction and Notes by Bernard Knox
i six nonlectures by E.E. Cummings
Herman Hesse Poems Selected and Translated by James Wright
A Season in Hell and The Drunken Boat By Arthur Rimbaud Translated by Louise Varese
A Wild Patience Has Taken Me This Far: Poems 1978-1981 by Adrienne Rich
Selected Poetry of Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe
One Hundred Modern Poems selected with an introduction by Selden Rodman
Anthology of Modern Japanese Poetry translated and compiled by Edith Marcombe Shiffert Yuki Sawa
No Nature: New and Selected Poems by Gary Snyder
Liked this post? Take a look at Let’s Talk Poetry!
This blog posts contains Amazon affiliate links, which means, if you purchase a book through one of the links provided, at no extra cost to you, I will earn a small commission 🙂
When Wishes Fly Away [a poem]
She tightens her grip, the star flexes, pulls, attempts
to wiggle out of her grasp. what good are wishes when
they can fly away? diamond teeth dig into her hand,
she yelps and throws the star to the floor. it shimmers
for a moment, hovering, before it shoots through the roof
and into the sky, leaving a pea-sized exit-wound in the wood.
she seethes, rage fluttering up through her chest, and
falls in a heap.